Team Bielefeld-CeBiTec 2017 consists of 14 highly motivated students of four different faculties from Bielefeld University.
Our team is supported by our advisers Boas Pucker, Julian Droste, Dr. Christian Rueckert, Prof. Dr. Kristian M. Mueller,
Prof. Dr. Joern Kalinowski, and other members of the CeBiTec and the Bielefeld University.

Markus Haak, Cognitive Informatics (B.Sc.)

What fascinates you most about your studies?After completing my Bachelor's degree in Molecular Biotechnology, I am now studying cognitive computer science as a second degree. In both courses, I am equally fascinated by the freedom and the range of opportunities that these young research areas bring with them. I am convinced that interdisciplinary competences are crucial for solving scientific problems.
Why are you participating in the iGEM-Competition 2017?For me, the iGEM competition offers the special opportunity to work together with a team of motivated students from different disciplines and to carry out an interdisciplinary project in independent work. With this holistic approach, from finding sponsors through public relations to international scientific exchange, it is thus possible to use and expand competences that go beyond the content of the study.
What are you passionate about?In my free time I like to work on scientifically and technically challenging projects. I am currently working on the implementation of an interactive media table.
What part of this year's project did you focus on?

Planning and construction of the LED panel, including prototyping, PCB design, and microcontroller programming

Development of an Android Application for controlling the LED panel via Bluetooth

Development of the restriction enzyme system for the analysis of UBP retention

RNA extraction and RNA-Seq library preparation

Transcriptome-based identification of potential enzyme candidates responsible for the production of isoguanosine (isoG)

Development of software tools for the detection of unnatural bases based on Nanopore Sequencing

Design and cloning of the sgRNA constructs for the UBP retention and preservation system

Christopher Whitford, Molecular Biotechnology (M.Sc.)

What fascinates you most about your studies?What fascinates me the most is the multidisciplinarity and the interplay between molecular biology, chemistry, and bioinformatics. I am especially interested in using biological systems for processes and methods relevant for further development of a sustainable bioeconomy.
Why are you participating in the iGEM-Competition 2017?iGEM offers the unique opportunity to solve a problem in a highly motivated team using synthetic biology. The competition challenges the teams to organize, plan, and complete a project from start to finish. The combination of management, team- and labwork fascinates me and motivates me to participate in the iGEM competition.
What motivates you to do your best?Being able to solve current problems using synthetic biology.
What part of this year's project did you focus on?

Design, cloning and characterization of PtNTT2 and additional PtNTT2 variants

Design and cloning for the retention and preservation system

Design and cloning for the deletion of codA

Design for the validation of cultivations performed in micro well plates

The Biosafety Report

The ChImp Report

Laura Schlueter, Molecular Biotechnology (M.Sc.)

What fascinates you most about your studies?I am studying Molecular Biotechnology, because this course of studies links biology with other fields of science and thus opens up completely different and diverse subject areas.
Why are you participating in the iGEM-Competition 2017?I am involved in the iGEM competition because I want to implement a project from the ground up. Not just research is at the forefront, but also important aspects such as public relations, human practice, and financing. I like this challenge.
What is your motto in life?You grow with your tasks.
What part of this year's project did you focus on?

Design and cloning of two tyrosyl tRNA synthetase libraries

Construction and characterization of libraries

Cloning for the prion detection assay

Svenja Vinke, Molecular Biotechnology (M.Sc.)

What fascinates you most about your studies?Especially the multidisciplinarity is fascinating to me. The diversity of fields of study of the MINT-faculties makes it possible to see complex questions in a different light. This can lead to creative solutions.
Why are you participating in the iGEM-Competition 2017?I love lab work and iGEM offers the opportunity to do independent research, which is not just short-term, but completely planned and developed on our own in a great team. Furthermore, the competition makes it possible to get in contact with other teams and experts worldwide and thusly improve our own work, but also other iGEM projects.
What is your motto in life?I do not lose. I either win or learn.
What part of this year's project did you focus on?

Design, cloning, and characterization of the analyzing tool

Design, cloning, and characterization of the prion detection assay

Design and cloning of the photoswitching parts

Design and cloning of the part improvement of the Texas 2014 screening plasmid

Design and cloning of the positive and negative selection plasmid for Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3)

Design and cloning of the basic parts and characterization of the labeling tool

Design and cloning of the basic parts for the colocalization of the carboxysome and the RuBisCO

Yannic Kerkhoff, Molecular Biotechnology (M.Sc.)

What fascinates you most about your studies?I am fascinated by the idea that humans can use and optimize the innovations of nature in order to solve problems which they could not cope with on their own.
Why are you participating in the iGEM-Competition 2017?I am taking part in the iGEM competition because I want to use my skills acquired so far in my studies to see what I can accomplish and where my limits are. In addition, iGEM gives me the opportunity to start a longer and freely selectable project in a group. I am very curious about this experience.
What motivates you to do your best?I think it is a great feeling to see that a project has worked when you have done your best. And if it does not work, you have at least nothing to regret and try again next time.
What part of this year's project did you focus on?

Design, cloning, and characterization of the photolysis tool

Design and construction of the purification column EluX and the light-induced elution method

Characterization of the photoswitching tool

Characterization of the light influenced lycopene production

Characterization of the improved synthetase test system

Applications of the LED-panel

Maximilian Edich, Bioinformatics and Genome Research (B.Sc.)

What fascinates you most about your studies?I'm very fascinated by the interdisciplinarity. We learn how organisms work on the lowest level and use this knowledge to solve problems. Without computer science this wouldn't be possible, so the different fields of science have to be combined. Not only the search for the most efficient algorithm is in my interest, but also the understanding of genes and their function.
Why are you participating in the iGEM-Competition 2017?The unique chance to solve world problems with a team of motivated students is very special. The commercial benefit is not important, which is why we could put any idea into practice. And the most interesting aspect is that we can solve all these problems with synthetic biology.
What motivates you to do your best?We already got a great knowledge and are now able to improve the world with our research. So we should use this knowledge to achieve as much as possible.
What part of this year's project did you focus on?

Modeling in pymol

Software development (M.A.X. and web design)

Cloning of the composite parts for the colocalization of the carboxysome and the RuBisCO

The Biosafety Report

Lennard Karsten, Biochemistry (M.Sc.)

What fascinates you most about your studies?Biochemistry is fascinating because it is great to understand cellular functions of organisms, which might explain pathogenic courses of diseases.
Why are you participating in the iGEM-Competition 2017?The iGEM-Competition for me is a chance to learn project management. It is the first time that I can bring my specific acquired skills into a bigger team. I am happy about starting a complete new project beyond my regular studies. It is awesome to create our own project with the team.
What motivates you to do your best?What motivates me the most is the fact that we are going to fly to Boston to present our project to an international audience. That is going to be a great experience as a reward for our hard work.
What part of this year's project did you focus on?

Design for knock-in of cas9 into the genome of Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) for preservation system

Design and characterization of lac operon for optimal repression

The ChImp Report

Christina Drake, Bioinformatics and Genome Research (M.Sc.)

What fascinates you most about your studies?I am fascinated by the fact that complex biological processes can be analyzed with the aid of computer science which leads to a better understanding of those processes.
Why are you participating in the iGEM-Competition 2017?I like to participate in the iGEM competition because you can learn a lot of technical skills in the laboratory, but also have the opportunity to develop personally, e.g. when dealing with specialist of other disciplines.
What is your motto in life?Happiness is not that you can do what you want, but that you always want what you do(Leo Tolstoi)
What part of this year's project did you focus on?

Structural Modeling with Rosetta and experimental validation

Cloning of the selection plasmids

Daniel Bergen, Molecular Biotechnology (B.Sc.)

What fascinates you most about your studies?Even as a child I was fascinated by all forms of life, be it trees, insects, or birds. Then in school, I learned about microbiological systems, which completely changed my perception of life, ecosystems, and the whole world. The more I learned about biological systems, the more I became interested in comprehensive biological processes and in possible applications for humanity and nature. My aim in the future is to work on environmentally friendly processes. This is why I decided to study molecular biotechnology.
Why are you participating in the iGEM-Competition 2017?I consider my participation as an opportunity to work in a team on a self-determined project and contribute to research fighting current problems. Through international contact to other teams one can learn new perspectives, which can optimize the own work. The competition is an opportunity to make the world a better place and improve one’s own abilities.
What motivates you to do your best?As long as it is possible to optimize processes or replace conventional methods by biotechnological ones, I will be highly motivated to do my best.
What part of this year's project did you focus on?

Design, cloning and characterization of the fusing tool

Design and planning of the construction of repetitive gene sequences and biopolymers

Chemical synthesis of cysteinyl lysine and of the novel amino acid cyanobenzothiazole asparagine

Generating conformers for the in silico simulation of the aaRS evolution

Experimental validation of the modeling project

Denise Kerkhoff, Methods and Evaluation (PhD student)

What fascinates you most about your studies?Over the course of my graduate studies of Statistical Sciences, I discovered how diverse and exciting the natural sciences and their quantitative methods are. I now wish to expand my ability to analyze, visualize, and interpret biological data.
Why are you participating in the iGEM-Competition 2017?I was inspired to join the iGEM-Competition because it enables students from various field to share and broaden their knowledge in order to plan, conduct, and present their very own research project. I was especially intrigued by the idea to tackle a humanitarian or environmental project by means of synthetic biology.
What motivates you to do your best?I do my best, whenever the effort makes one learn something new. It does not matter whether new findings are trivial or world-shaking, as long as the newfound knowledge shape ones future endeavors.
What part of this year's project did you focus on?

The Biosafety Report

The ChImp Report: Statistical analyses

Multivariate statistical analyses of results

Modeling via simulation in ROSETTA and experimental validation

Camilla Maerz, Molecular Biotechnology (B.Sc.)

What fascinates you most about your studies?I study molecular biotechnology because I want to research processes and procedures in order to understand and improve them. Using organisms in different ways to create something new or to optimize outdated procedures enables us to, among other things, correct mistakes which mankind has done to nature.
Why are you participating in the iGEM-Competition 2017?I would like to tackle the challenge of independently working on a project from start to finish as part of a team. I especially like that, additionally to the lab work, we also get to plan and coordinate other tasks that the iGEM competition entails in order to reach our common goal. Apart from interacting with sponsors and designing our website, we use different social media and maintain international contacts to other teams. Thus, we consistently receive feedback and gain impressions of our project from different perspectives. This helps us promote our work and to constantly improve it.
What motivates you to do your best?I wish to achieve something useful in my future work. In synthetic biology, I see great potential for finding solutions to current problems. Therefore, I would like to learn as much as possible during this competition in order to be able to use this knowledge for future works.
What part of this year's project did you focus on?

PCR with UBPs

The Biosafety Report

The ChImp Report

Characterization of restriction system (M.A.X.)

Saskia Dymek, Molecular Biotechnology (B.Sc.)

What fascinates you most about your studies?I chose my studies because of its interdisciplinarity. Here I see the opportunity to deepen my knowledge and skills in various fields of science, such as physics, computer science and chemistry, and to recombine what I have learned.
Why are you participating in the iGEM-Competition 2017?In the competition, I am able to plan, develop and carry out a project independently in a team of young students. We are aware of the full scope of scientific work - with its ups and downs - and in the end we present our own work in the hope of shaping the future. I do not want to miss this experience.
What is your motto in life?Of course it happens in your head, but why in the world should it mean that it is not real? (Albus Dumbledore)
What part of this year's project did you focus on?

The Biosafety Report

Michelle Liebers, Bioinformatics and Genome Research (M.Sc.)

What fascinates you most about your studies?In the beginning, I decided to study bioinformatics because of the interesting combination of biology and computer science - both are areas that interest me very much. In the meantime I am fascinated by the versatile applications and the benefits for many medical and biological questions and research questions.
Why are you participating in the iGEM-Competition 2017?With respect to the competition, I was especially fascinated by the opportunity to work independently and also in a team on a self-determined project.
What motivates you to do your best?If something interests me, I want to pull through to the end and give it all to make it work. In general it is important to me to never give up so that I can proudly say that I have fought for something. In addition, I think that you can only learn something and really make new experiences if you are really into it. And that is, in my opinion, only possible if you give your best.
What part of this year's project did you focus on?

In vitro enzyme activity assays of the Croton tiglium enzymes

The ChImp Report

Olga Schmidt, Molecular Cell Biology (M.Sc.)

What fascinates you most about your studies?What fascinates me is researching components, which as a whole build a functioning system, by means of biological, physiological, chemical and genetic methods. It is also fascinating to discover their function and classify them with respect to their various pathways.
Why are you participating in the iGEM-Competition 2017?To me, the competition is a form of activity-based learning. Through independent planning of our project – from our first ideas through research until financing – its multidisciplinarity, and the diversity of this years’ team, I am excited to master many new abilities and contribute to the project with my own knowledge.
What motivates you to do your best?As an upcoming researcher, I am of course motivated by the great results and accomplishments of other researchers. They and my own achievements are a big incentive for me. To see other people passionately giving their best is a strong motivator for me to also give my best.
What part of this year's project did you focus on?